Author: Hazel Robinson.
Genre: Romance/Coming of Age.
Release Date: May 1, 2014.
Source: Review copy.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars.
Purchase: Amazon UK Paperback | Amazon UK Kindle | Amazon Paperback | Amazon Kindle
When Susan is left orphaned, she begins a harrowing journey through the care system. Left with both mental and physical scars, Susan approaches adulthood with a self-destructive impulse. However, there is hope in the figure of her childhood friend, Max; the first boy she ever kissed.
Now a grown woman, Susan returns to her childhood home of Winchelsea, where she hopes she will find the answer to the gap in her heart that she’s carried with her since she left. With Max by her side, she attempts to find the path her life should have taken, to build a home, to heal old wounds, and to finally create a family that will stop the terrible feeling of something missing.
But Max has a secret, one that risks destroying all hope of a happy ever after, unless they can find a way to heal one another.
I’m a sucker for a sweet and simple romance story and Something Missing felt like that kind of book. Susan was reconnecting with Max, the first boy she’d ever kissed but of course, things weren’t going to be that straightforward. Susan was still damaged from the abuse she suffered growing up and Max was being secretive too. It all sounded like the makings of a nice romance film to me.
The issue I always have with watching romance films is that they move too quickly whereas books tend to give you more time for things to unfold at a better pace. Sadly for me, whilst Something Missing had a lot of promise, character and story development was lacking and everything progressed like I’d accidentally knocked the forward button during said romance film.
The thing is, I actually enjoyed parts of this book. I thought the things which happened in the plot were interesting enough and the characters started off intriguing although I thought Susan became a little irritating as the book went on. I probably preferred the side characters of Polly and Beth more. Had the author extended events in the plot so major plot turns weren’t over and done with in the space of a couple of sentences, I would have enjoyed the story a lot more. So as for writing a good plot, I think the author succeeded but the pacing just wasn’t for me.
Something Missing was emotional and I liked that but after a decent start, I was a bit disappointed with most of the book. It was too rushed and predictable. The ending did pick up a bit though and I was more interested then than I had been for the rest of the book. I’m not sure that this will be the only book I read from this author but I’m just hoping for better pacing and stronger development in any books she writes in the future.
Hazel lives in the small town of Rishton in Lancashire. England, with her husband, three children, two cats, dog, rabbit and lizard. She fills her days dashing between school runs, pets and housework and at night she comes to life either writing or watching her favorite program ‘Supernatural’ (yes she is Supernatural obsessed) Her road to writing started with a love for paranormal romance novels, and after finding a passion for tragic romance she set out on the mission to share her own story. After long nights writing and a lot of ‘Supernatural’ episodes she is finally ready to share ‘Something Missing’. Hazel loves nothing better than sitting with a cup of tea, a chocolate biscuit and a good book.
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